Knec names national exam cheating hotspots

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, accompanied by Kenya National Examinations Council chairman George Magoha (right), addresses the media on September 27, 2018 regarding examination preparedness. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Names of principals suspected of involvement in malpractices have been forwarded to security agencies.
  • Belio Kipsang said examination officials guilty of compromising the security of test materials will be suspended.

The national examiner has named six counties where it says school principals have laid out elaborate plans to help students cheat in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, which starts next month.

They are Meru, Kiambu, Garissa, West Pokot, Kisii and Wajir, Kenya National Examinations Council chairman George Magoha said, adding that parts of Nyanza are also being investigated.

He said the council has given the names of principals suspected of involvement in the malpractices to security agencies.

“The council has confirmed that some schools are still conducting prayers and other activities during the Third Term contrary to the Ministry of Education guidelines,” Prof Magoha said while briefing journalists on the progress of examination preparedness at Lang'ata Sub-County headquarters in Nairobi.

DISCIPLINE

He said some schools are giving candidates access to fake papers and planning how to allow pre-exposure of test materials on the day of examination.

“In some of the cases, especially in Kisii and Garissa, some principals are collecting money from parents during the prayers promising access to examination papers. The Council wishes to advise the candidates not to be cheated into looking at these fake papers,” he added.

Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said examination officials guilty of compromising the security of test materials will be suspended and that candidates in such centres will not be allowed to continue with the exercise because the results will be nullified.

Some of the counties identified as cheating hotspots were involved in irregularities in last year's examinations in which results of 1,205 KCSE candidates were cancelled.

RELEASE DATE

He said the council has assessed all the 459 containers where examinations materials will be stored and is satisfied of their security.

“The council wishes to confidently assure the country that every candidate will see the examinations on the day that the particular papers are scheduled to be taken,” Prof Magoha said.

The Nation has learnt that top ministry of education officials will from Monday visit the six counties where cheating is being planned.

Dr Kipsang said the Form Four test results will be released before December 25.

A detailed report by Knec on last year’s cheating indicates that the results were cancelled because candidates were found with examination materials on their mobile phones.

The council also detected collusion which involved candidates producing identical responses in an examination and cited 64 centres where malpractices were detected.